Margaret Hartmann

Though many of us appreciate that there's been little snow shoveling this year and we've yet to step into a puddle and get frigid street slush in our boot, some people aren't so happy about the bizarre lack of snow. Currently only 19% of the country is covered in snow, which is less than half of the average snow cover we've had in the past five years. The AP reports that the dearth of icy precipitation has "turned life upside down," for businesses that rely on winter tourism and is costing tens of millions of dollars. For a brief overview of the problem, watch the 1954 film White Christmas. In fact, someone should try rallying the old gang and singing a song about how much fun it was to fight in World War II, because that seems to make snow magically appear.